How Astigmatism Affects Your Vision

One in three people has astigmatism, a condition in which the eye has a more intense curvature than a typical eye. A common cause of blurry vision and an unexpected cause of headaches, astigmatism is easily mistaken for other refractive errors like nearsightedness or farsightedness. 

Board-certified ophthalmologist and strabismologist Lori M. Dao, MD, can help you find out if your vision problems come from astigmatism or some other refractive error. At the Adult Strabismus Institute in Plano, Texas, she routinely treats double vision and other visual symptoms based on their underlying cause. 

What is astigmatism?

A typical eye is almost a perfectly round sphere. This shape has a purpose — When your eye is spherical, light passes through the cornea (the clear front part of your eye), lens, and pupil (the hole in the iris). The cornea focuses light on your retina, the light-sensitive part at the back of your eye.

If you have astigmatism, your eye is more football-shaped, and the light doesn’t properly focus on your retina. The unfocused light prevents objects from looking clear or sharp, whether they’re near you or far away. 

In response, your eyes work harder and become strained. Eye strain can be uncomfortable and even cause frequent headaches. 

Vision changes to expect with astigmatism

Astigmatism can cause vision changes because of how your abnormally curved cornea refracts light. Objects might appear blurry to you even if they’re very close to you. Distance vision can suffer, too. 

Astigmatism-related vision changes can include:

• Double vision
• Distorted vision
• Blurry vision
• Halos around lights
• Trouble seeing in the dark

Your eyes and other muscles work hard to overcome these vision changes, which can contribute to back or neck pain. You might also have trouble keeping your eyes open for prolonged periods.  

How to preserve your vision

Like other refractive errors, astigmatism is treatable with corrective contact lenses or glasses. They help align the light as it travels to your retina, which can reduce or eliminate symptoms such as glare, halos, and double vision. 

Astigmatism can change over time, so you might not need any treatment right away. If your astigmatism becomes severe, you might consider corrective vision surgery like photorefractive keratectomy or LASIK. 

Dr. Dao can help you decide when the time is right to get new glasses or contacts, or when to consider surgery for astigmatism. She monitors your vision changes over time with regular eye exams. Talk to Dr. Dao about how often you should get your eyes checked, based on your age and any diagnosed eye conditions. 

Want to learn more? 

Dr. Dao uses advanced eye tests to diagnose causes of vision changes, including astigmatism. For more information about astigmatism and its treatments, call the Adult Strabismus Institute or book online today.